Trekking to Siurana de Prades (with kids)

The trekking: going up

We did this circular route from Wikiloc, beginning from the parking area of the Siurana reservoir.

The is a path 13 km long, with 388 m of total ascent. The kids, aged 8 and 10, followed without problems, happy to see the marvelous landscapes from the top of the cliff.

The ascent is at the end a bit harder, but once in Siurana village there are restaurants and a hostel to have lunch or take a rest.

The unassailable castle of Siurana

Siurana de Prades is one of the most beautiful villages in the province of Tarragona.
It is located at the top of an escarpment, at 737 meters above sea level in the Prades Mountains. It is flanked by peaks over a thousand meters high, belonging to the Catalan region of Montsant.

Although Siurana has a long history since Iron Age, it becomes important during the Muslim occupation, between the years 869 and 1154, when it was the last bastion in the reconquest of Catalunya by the Christians.

From this historical episode comes a legend saying that when the Moorish queen Abd-el-azia realized she would be defeated decided to jump down the cliff riding her horse rather than being captured by the Christians. Although the queen covered the animal's eyes to prevent him to stop by fear, the horse felt the danger and in resistance left on the rock the footprint of the horseshoe that can be seen in the escarpment named "El salto de la reina mora" (The jump of the Muslim queen).

The trekking: going down

The path down is towards Siurana river, through the Mediterranean forest that fills the entire hillside until we arrive where the river becomes the reservoir.

Once in the river the path is a little blurred, but knowing you must go to the dam by the left side of the river, soon appears the mountain track used by the reservoir maintenance service and leading right to the dam and the park area.

In warm seasons, you may like taking a bath in the Siurana river!

Here is another circular route starting at the same point but easier since it doesn't go up to Siurana village. The route takes the tour to the reservoir, 11 km long and 213 m of slope, a better option if you are travelling with young children.

Climbing

Siurana is a well-known site for climbing enthusiasts, with more than 200 routes and a large history of welcoming fans of this sport.

The style of climbing varies considerably, and although most routes are pocketed stamina climbs, there are plenty of short and intense lines to get to grips with. The grades vary from 5a to 9a+. (Siurana is home to the famous "La Rambla", a 9a+ route).

How to arrive

Given that Siurana is a little village in a top of a mountain, the best way to arrive is by taxi or by car from the bigger cities around:

Reus (32 km): airport, train and bus connections.

Tarragona (42 km): TGV train and bus connections.

Barcelona (138 km): airport, TGV train and bus connections.

You will get more options of transport, accomodation and shops in Cornudella del Montsant rather than in Siurana. To get there by bus the line is Reus - Cornudella - Morera de Montsant, operated by Autocars Plana.  

Birdwatching and cycling in Ebro Delta

Delta Natural Park

The Ebro Delta, covering an area of 320 km2, is the largest aquatic habitat in Catalonia and a wetland internationaly recognized for its importance and for the sustainable tourism that has developed. It's been Natural Park since 1983. 

The protection of nature coexists with traditional agriculture and fishing activities, mainly rice and mussels.

Typical villages in the area are Deltebre, Sant Jaume d'Enveja, Els Muntells, Poble nou del Delta, L'Aldea and Camarles.

A good option to visit the Delta is to go to the information center named La Casa de Fusta,  in the Encanyissada lagoon, the bigger one in the Delta.

From La Casa de Fusta you can go around the lagoon by a 12-18 km route.

Cycling and Birdwatching

As a delta is plain terrain, cycling is available for everybody. Traffic is low and calm, and there are paths adapted for bikes. Neither you don't have to take your bike, because you will find rentals near your lodgement. It is a real pleasure ride in the middle of nature!

Birdwatching is also easy (it is a special protected area for birds), although depending on the time of year there are more or fewer birds; there are some places where you will not miss them, like the observatories in La Tancada i L'Encanyissada.

Summer wildlife:
Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Black-winged Stilt, Pratincole, Mallard, Common Tern, Whiskered Tern, Bearded Tit, Reed Warbler

Winter wildlife: 
Cormorant, Grey Heron, Great Creste Grebe, Marsh Harrier, Cernícalo Vulgar, Lapwing, Snipe, Red-crested Pochard, Reed Bunting, Kingfisher

 Accomodation and gastronomy

Fortunately, the building of big hotels and appartment buildings is not allowed, as the Delta is a protected area. The amazing landscape invites tourists to lodge in little hotels, campings or country houses. The latter is the option I prefer, here or here you can find entire houses or individual rooms to rent.

Since it is a rice area, it is highly recommended to stop at one of the many restaurants in the little villages inside the park and order one of their rice specialities: paella, arrossejat, rice with duck, rice with lobster, black rice or caldereta. Remember to book in advance!

Special dates 

The extensive rice fields change the landscape with the seasons: earthy in winter, water flooded in spring and green in summer. 

Summertime is a great time to enjoy dunes and wild beaches, gastronomy and birdwatching (you should take mosquito repellent). 

Every year there is a popular fiesta to celebrate the beginning of the harvest rice, where you can see the traditional work of mowing. This year is scheduled on 13th September (2015). 

How to get there

 By car: Main N-340 road through Amposta and Sant Carles de la Ràpita along the Ebro Delta.

By train: Amposta, Camarles and l´Ampolla stations on the Barcelona-Valencia line.

GPS coordinates X: 0.7230895243530724, Y: 40.72263451312286

The surroundings

Delta Ebro area can be a destiny of a several week vacation:

- Besides Delta Natural Park there is Els Ports Natural Park, a limestone massif located between Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon. 

- Tortosa, Amposta and Miravet Castle

- River ebro activities: boat travel or canoeing. 

- Cycling in the Greenway Terres de l'Ebre

Artigas Gardens, a Gaudí hidden legacy

When Gaudí was visiting the location of the coal mine engineer's house he was commissioned to design for Eusebi Güell in Catllaràs (Lillet Valley), he stayed in the house of Artigas family, friends of Güell family in the textile business. 

As a gratitude to his lodging, Gaudí designed Artigas Gardens, in a wild environment around the river and the factory, which became the only humid gardens he projected.

The aim of the architect was to integrate the gardens in the environment, in absolute respect for nature, so stone is the most used material and the gardens are full of stairs to follow the natural shape of the valley.

A wide explanation about Modernism and Artigas Gardens is available here. It is possible to book a guided tour at the Tourist Office (938 236 146).

Taking again The Ciment Train, in the next (and last) stop, you can visit Asland Cement Museum. 

How to get there

A nice way to reach Artigas Gardens, specially travelling with kids, is taking The Cement Train, the line to the cement factory owned by Eusebi Güell, which was supplied with the extracted coal of Catllaras mines mentioned above.

This is now a touristic train, working from April to October, in a 3,5 km route with four station: La Pobla de Lillet (parking) - La Pobla (center village) - Artigas Gardens - Cement Museum in Castellar de n'Hug (and parking).

It is also possible to reach the gardens by car or walking, following the railway from La Pobla de Lillet.
Information about travelling from Barcelona by public transport is available in this site.

It is not advisable to bring baby carriages because there are many stairs in the tour.

View FGC Tren del Ciment in a larger map

The surroundings

s

In Castellar de n'Hug is worth a visit the source of Llobregat river, which flows to Barcelona, and all the long of its course is it possible to visit the textile past heritage of Llobregat valley.    

Pedraforca mountain will offer you a spectacular landscape if you drive to Gosol and Saldes.

The volcanic area of La Garrotxa

The capital of the region named La Garrotxa is Olot, a city with almost 35.000 inhabitants located at 50km from Girona.

View Larger Map

It is recommended to visit first the Museum of Volcanoes, in the middle of Parc Nou, where you can spend a good time in the botanical gardens.

The tour takes less than two hours and it allows visitors to locate every point of interest in the surroundings, besides remembering or deepen in the geological concepts involved in the formation of volcanoes.

The volcanic region of La Garrotxa was declared Natural Park in 1982, as a political response to public and scientific demands to safeguard the quarantine of volcanic cones and more than twenty basaltic lava flows. 

In the surroundings there are many paths, cycling and walking trails, for example the volcanoes' circuit, a round trip walk that takes 3 hours and begins just on the Museum location or La Ruta del Carrilet, a cyclist path on an old railway.

For more info, volcanoes have their own facebook page (in catalan), or contact us.

Another unforgettable visit in the area is La Fageda d'en Jordà, a beech forest born above a lava flow of Croscat Volcano, always spectacular, especially in autumn,where you can have a fun time walking through the cracks opened on the floor.